Pope Leo XIV calls for end to wars in Ukraine, Gaza

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop emeritus of Washington, said Pope Leo XIV engaged in conversations with members of the clergy in "smaller groups" during the conclave, specifically during meal times and coffee breaks.

"It wasn't like he got up and made an overwhelmingly convincing speech that wowed the body," Gregory said during a press conference on Friday.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, said it was not the substance of what Leo said during the conclave, but the "manner in which he said it" that resonated with the cardinals.

Gregory went on to say that he talked to Leo about how they are both from Chicago and promised the pontiff his "respect, fidelity and love."

During a press conference with American cardinals on Friday, Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, said he did not think the fact that Pope Leo was from the United States "carried much weight" in the decision to elect him as the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Regarding the remarks earlier by Cardinal Maung Bo — who said Leo will "build a bridge" with President Donald Trump — Dolan said the new pontiff will instead "build bridges with leaders of every nation."

Dolan said Leo's potential meeting with Trump would "not be of more heft" than conversations with other world leaders.

Pope Leo's past statements suggest he may take different positions on some social issues than his predecessor Pope Francis did.

In 2012, he expressed concern about Western media promoting what he called "beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel," including same-sex relationships, according to the New York Times. As a bishop in Peru from 2015 through 2023, he opposed teaching gender studies in schools, stating that "gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don't exist."

That appears to mark a departure from Francis's more welcoming approach to LGBTQ+ issues. Francis famously asked "Who am I to judge?" when discussing gay clerics, and made headlines with his decision to allow same-sex couple blessings.

In other areas, like women serving in leadership roles in the Catholic Church, Leo has taken a more progressive stance.

In a 2023 interview with Vatican Media, Leo XIV highlighted his experience with having women in church leadership, particularly discussing the three women appointed to help select bishops -- a reform he oversaw under Francis.

"Their opinion introduces another perspective and becomes an important contribution to the process," he told Vatican Media, emphasizing that their roles represent "real, genuine, and meaningful participation."

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Pope Leo already has events on his calendar for his first week as the head of the Catholic Church.

On Saturday, he will meet with the cardinals, and on Sunday will be a noon-time prayer from the Central Loggia of the Basilica.

On Monday, Leo will meet with the world press and on Friday is a meeting with the ambassadors of the Embassies to the Holy See.

Pope Leo will hold his inaugural Mass on Sunday, May 18.

Rome is prepared for both "very busy Sundays" for the pope's events this Sunday and on May 18, a spokesperson for Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said.

Both days will attract large crowds and therefore require "the same security put in place for Pope Francis' funeral," the spokesperson said.

-ABC News’ Phoebe Natanson and Camilla Alcini